Abm 04 2018

MARY GREELEY WINS STATEWIDE INFECTION PREVENTION AWARD SEE PAGE 4

AB AMES BUSINESS

MONTHLY A P R I L 2018

April Chamber Update

FAREWAY FOR 50

AFTER 50 YEARS OF SERVICE, GREINER ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT FROM FAREWAY

SEE PAGE 2

AB

2 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | APRIL 2018

AMES BUSINESS

MONTHLY APRIL 2018 Vol. 11, No. 4 AMES TRIBUNE Ames Business Monthly is a publication of the Ames Tribune, 317 Fifth St., Ames, IA, 50010; (515) 232-2160.

4 East Main Street buildings to get facade upgrades 4 Mary Greeley wins statewide infection prevention award 5 Ames Chamber of Commerce

After 50 years of service, Greiner announces retirement from Fareway

By Gena Johnson

Boone News-Republican

17 New owner of Cooks’ Emporium planning 2019 remodel 17 Developers announce $7.2 million hotel on South 16th Street 18 Andra Reason 18 Rick Brimeyer

F

areway’s President and Chief Operating Officer Frederick Greiner has announced he will retire, effective Sept. 1, after 50 years with the company.

According to a news release from Fareway, Greiner began his career in Independence in 1968. After high school, he served in the U.S. Army from 197274. After he completed his service, he returned to Fareway, transferring to Winterset, Cherokee and Boone.

At the start of his career, he didn’t have a goal of 50 years, but rather a goal of managing a Fareway store, he said.

“Eventually, I reached that goal in

1983 by managing the Boone store,” Greiner said. “Then, served in several different capacities and the years have just gone by quickly.

“The 50 years is a good milestone and a good place to stop.”

Employment with Fareway has been enjoyable, Greiner said.

“I’ve really enjoyed it,” Greiner said.

“We’re family owned, just working with all of the different family members — whether it was at the store level, at the corporate level or whether it was on the board.”

Greiner looks forward to spending more time with family and doing some traveling.

See GREINER on page 3

APRIL 2018 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | 3

GREINER: ‘I hired our CEO Reynolds Cramer when he was 16 to work as a stocker’ Continued from page 2

“I love fishing, golfing, my wife has a few horses so we’ll do a few more things in the horse world and just do more traveling,” he said. “Enjoy the free time, but stay busy with some volunteer organizations and a couple boards that I serve on — I’ll still serve in those capacities.”

Greiner serves on several boards, including the Fareway Board of Directors, a position he’s held since 1991. He also serves on Des Moines Area Community College and Vision Bank of Iowa. He also served on the Iowa Grocery Industry Association Board for ten years and was chairman from 2002-03.

During his year’s of service

Greiner

with the company, he also earned Retailer of the Year in 2006 from the Iowa Grocer’s Association.

Although, when asked of his achievements, the first thing that

came to mind was being transferred to Boone.

“Being transferred here as the assistant manager, and then two years later when the manager retired I was promoted to the store manager,” Greiner said, adding he moved up to district supervisor in the corporate office in 1989. “Then I became a little bit more involved in the warehouse through Bill Beckwith and learned that operation.”

He said he was there for the automation that occurred in the warehouse in 2005, and initiated a recycling program for plastic shrink-wrap used in the warehouse.

When Greiner thinks back on his career, he thought mainly of the people he hired and the

relationships he made.

“The biggest thing is people that I have either hired or worked with, to see them advance in their careers within the company is very gratifying,” Greiner said with a smile. “I hired our CEO Reynolds Cramer when he was 16 to work as a stocker and carrying out groceries.

“Out at the warehouse, our Vice President of Warehouse Operations, Wes Bass, I hired him when he was 16 and Jeff Stearns, who is head of the marketing department, I hired Jeff when he was in high school.”

When talking about watching co-workers excel, Greiner said his son, Nick, is a district supervisor with the company.

“I will miss the people, I still

plan on being involved in different ways within the community,” Greiner said. “I’ll come back and visit (co-workers) — but it’s been a fantastic career and never thought when I started out that this is where I would be when I retired.

“Again, I am very thankful, to Fareway Stores for giving me those opportunities.”

Greiner is confident that the company will continue to flourish long after he has retired.

“They’re a strong company, it’s a competitive environment, but Fareway has a lot of great people coming up the corporate ladder to take us well into the future as we celebrate our 80th year this May — we have people to take us to 100 years … and beyond.”

4 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | APRIL 2018

East Main Street buildings to get facade upgrades The buildings at, top, 131 Main St. and bottom, 110 and 116 Main St. received just under $60,000 in matching funds from the city of Ames for facade restoration projects. PHOTOS

By Dan Mika, Staff Writer dmika@amestrib.com

S

everal buildings on Main Street’s 100 block are going to get a facelift later this year after being approved for a total of almost $60,000 of matching funds from the city.

The Ames City Council approved the round of downtown facade grants during a late February meeting to 131 Main St., owned by architecture firm Avec Design+Build, and the storefronts for Fringe Salon and John’s Natural Foods.

The city fund, set at $50,000 each fiscal year, allows downtown business and property owners to apply for up to a $15,000 match to make exterior repairs or bring them to city design guidelines. The last round of facade grants went to Quilting Connections and the building at 208 Fifth Street, home to McClanahan Studios and Dr. Taylor Chiropractic, among others.

Avec partner Eliz Erbes said the grant will be used to replace windows on the second floor to meet city design guidelines, replace the doors and install a canopy over the adjacent sidewalks. Erbes said the canopy was a feature of the building when it was remodeled in 1953, but was removed by a previous owner.

The building was purchased last summer to house Avec’s growing offices. The firm is spending $750,000 for an interior and exterior remodel, which is expected to finish sometime

by June.

The company will receive a match of just more than $29,000 because it is updating two different facades.

The facade grant will be used to show city support in Avec’s bid for a $100,000 “catalyst grant” from the Iowa Economic Development Authority intended to spur local development. Avec expected to hear if the grant would be awarded by the end of March, Erbes said.

“There’s competition for it, and I think we have a good submittal for sure,” she said. “The city’s supporting it, and we met the criteria, so I think

BY DAN MIKA/AMES TRIBUNE

there’s a good chance, but I’m going to say 50-50.”

The other grants will go to 110 and 116 Main Street, two neighboring buildings that house Fringe Salon and John’s Natural Foods, respectively. Fringe Salon will have its exterior redone with new brick and glass, while the John’s Natural Foods building will have the new facade and build out its angled storefront to meet the sidewalk.

The buildings are expected to look similar to 122 Main St., which received a facade grant in 2013. City documents also show conceptual

drawings applying the same design from 108 Main St., to 120 Main St., over a period of years. The building was originally built and platted as one single property before being split up into individual addresses.

Cindy Hicks, director of the Main Street Cultural District, said grants to any downtown building shows interest from building owners in investing in their properties and will hopefully lead to further redevelopment in the area.

“Sometimes it takes a lot of little projects to be the catalyst for a big project,” she said.

Mary Greeley wins statewide infection prevention award

By Dan Mika, Staff Writer dmika@amestrib.com

M

ary Greeley Medical Center has won an infection prevention award from a statewide hospital group for its efforts in reducing prevalence of a potentially deadly diarrhea-causing infection.

The hospital won the “Reducing HealthcareAssociated Infections Award” from the Iowa Healthcare Collaborative, part of the group’s larger Healthcare Quality and Safety Awards.

IHC gave Mary Greeley the award for its “Antibiotic Stewardship” team, which was formed in 2013 to reduce antibiotic use when not necessary. By working with doctors and patients, the hospital reported a 30 percent reduction in anti-infection costs and a “significant” decline in Clostridium difficile, a bacteria causing colon inflammation that can kill elderly hospital patients.

“The medical center has seen a significant increase in the growth and acceptance rate of interventions, which is evidence of the support the medical staff has for this program and in doing what is right for the patient,” the IHC’s citation to Mary Greeley reads.

The Centers for Disease Control has described growing bacterial resistance as a major public health issue.

Healthcare providers have been prone to prescribing antibiotics for viral infections or for ailments that aren’t affected by antibiotics for several decades, giving bacterial strains more exposure to them and more opportunities to develop traits to protect themselves.

The remaining strains are then harder to treat, turning previously minor illnesses into major infections.

Dr. Ricardo Arbulu, an infectious diseases specialist with McFarland Clinic and a member of the Antibiotic Stewardship team, said the team took recommendations set by the CDC and improved upon them.

Whenever a patient is prescribed antibiotics by a doctor, Mary Greeley pharmacist Gary Bailey reviews the prescription against a checklist to make sure the patient isn’t getting the wrong prescription for their infection, or to advise the doctor against administering antibiotics at all.

If Bailey finds a prescription that could be improved on, Arbulu said Bailey can offer his own recommendation for the patient. That, along with other steps the hospital has implemented, is saving Mary Greeley money by stopping overprescriptions and reducing patient vulnerability to Clostridium difficile.

“Unlike other drugs, antibiotics not only have an effect on the person, but on the society and the institution,” Arbulu said.

APRIL 2018 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | 5

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egistered voters within the boundaries of the Ames and Gilbert Community School Districts will go to the polls on Tuesday, April 3 to determine the future growth and development of their respective school districts.

The Ames Community School District’s bond referendum is for a new high school, as well as additions to three of the district’s elementary schools: Meeker, Mitchell, and Edwards. The bond amount will not exceed $110 million, will not

raise taxes, and will require a 60% approval from voters. Additional information is available at www.ames.k12. ia.us/2018/01/future-ames-high-needknow/.

The Gilbert Community School District’s bond referendum will include improvements to the elementary school, the intermediate school, the middle school, the high school, and the district’s athletics facilities. The bond amount is $13,885,000 and will extend the current tax rate and not raise taxes throughout

the district. Additional information is available at www.gilbertcsd.org/district/ bond-vote-april-3-2018/.

All applicable information on this Special Election is available on the Story County Auditor’s website at www.storycountyiowa.gov/index.aspx?nid=1285.

If you have any questions or are in need of assistance regarding either bond referendum, please contact Drew Kamp at drew@ameschamber.com or 515-2322310.

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Register Today for April 19 Ames Seed Capital Events $PHV 6HHG &DSLWDO ZLOO KRVW LWV $QQXDO 0HHWLQJ DQG /XQFKHRQ 3LWFK &RPSHWLWLRQ DQG (QWUHSUHQXHU 6KRZFDVH RQ $SULO

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mes Seed Capital is hosting their Annual Meeting and Luncheon Thursday, April 19, from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm.

The event will be held in the Scheman Building at the Iowa State Center.

The meeting and luncheon will recognize Ames Seed Capital’s investors, review 2017 accomplishments and include remarks from Jon Darsee, a founding member of iRhythm Technologies. An Iowa Native, Darsee is now ZRUNLQJ DW WKH 2I¿FH RI WKH 3UHVLGHQW at the University of Iowa. Darsee works

with faculty, staff and students at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics to foster innovation and improve collaboration throughout the state of Iowa.

The Luncheon will also provide an opportunity for attendees to hear from the 2017 entrepreneurs who Ames Seed Capital has invested in.

Attendees can purchase a ticket to the meeting and luncheon for $40, or can buy a table of 10 for $400.

In addition to the Annual Meeting and Luncheon, there will be two free of charge sessions. Those sessions include

D 3LWFK &RPSHWLWLRQ DQG (QWUHSUHQHXU 6KRZFDVH 7KH 3LWFK &RPSHWLWLRQ ZLOO run from 9:00 – 11:00 am. This event is open to entrepreneurs who are in the early development stages. Top pitches will be awarded a total of $2,500.

The Entrepreneur Showcase will immediately follow the Annual Meeting and Luncheon, and will take place from 1:30 – 4:00 pm. This showcase is open to entrepreneurs who have developed their business venture ideas and are ready for direct investment from seed capital groups or early-stage venture capital.

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There are three separate registrations for each event, all of which can be found on the Ames Chamber website (www.

AmesChamber.com), under the “events� tab.

CyBIZ Lab, an Iowa State University VWXGHQW FRQVXOWLQJ ÂżUP LV ZRUNLQJ ZLWK the Ames Seed Capital to produce this event.

For questions, please email Ron Hallenbeck (ron@ameschamber.com) or Edana Delagardelle (edana@ameschamber.com). Ron and Edana can be reached at 515-232-2310.

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Workforce Solutions Partner Spotlight: DMACC

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or over 50 years, Des Moines Area Community College has been preparing hundreds of thousands of Iowans to go out into the world and accomplish great things for themselves, their families, their communities and our great state.

What many people may not know about DMACC is that they have an entire department, DMACC Business Resources (DBR), that is devoted to helping businesses and other organizations achieve success.

Ames and Story County has this resource available in its own backyard at the Ames Hunziker Center! DMACC is proud to have partnered with a number of companies in the Story County area, and looks forward to continuing to expand on those partnerships and establish new ones into the future.

DBR is dedicated to helping Iowa businesses grow; they specialize in customized training that meets the needs of companies who are looking to develop their employees. DMACC works with companies, educational institutions, QRQSUR¿W RUJDQL]DWLRQV DQG JRYHUQment institutions to help them grow and achieve their goals. DBR promises to work to identify needs, connect companies to resources that address those needs, and partner on long term solutions to ensure needs are met.

Customized training can be developed for a wide range of topics.

DMACC provides training in technical skills, professional skill development, safety and OSHA training, employee workplace skills, lean and continuous improvement, and management/supervisory training. DMACC prides them-

selves on being able to locate resources that can address almost any employee or organizational development need!

DBR administers two highly successful training programs: the Iowa New -REV 7UDLQLQJ 3URJUDP ( DQG WKH ,RZD -REV 7UDLQLQJ 3URJUDP )

These two programs are State sponsored job training programs that help fund investments in employee training for eligible organizations. These programs foster growth and competitiveness by ensuring that Iowaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s workforce has the skills and expertise needed to compete worldwide.

For more information about DMACC Business Resources, please contact Jeff Janes, Business Solutions Consultant, at jrjanes@dmacc.edu or by calling 515663-6717.

AMES MAIN STREET

FARMERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

MARKET

MAIN STREET SATURDAYS FREE FAMILY FUN LIVE MUSIC COOKING CONTESTS LOCAL PRODUCE SATURDAYS | 8AM - 12:30PM | MAY - OCTOBER | 300 & 400 BLOCKS MAIN STREET

AMESMAINSTREETFARMERSMARKET.COM

APRIL 2018 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | 7

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ommunity Development Day kicked off in a very unique setting - the new hangar at the Ames Municipal Airport!

The February 8 session was sponsored

by Central Iowa Air Service. The day included presentations from Central Iowa Air Service, an Ames economic outlook overview, overview of the ISU Research 3DUN D FRPPXQLW\ GHYHORSPHQW SUHVHQ-

Central Iowa Air Service, Community Development Dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sponsor, hosted the morning session in the new hangar at the Ames Municipal Airport.

tation and tour at Workiva, downtown small business panel and a Campustown community panel.

Thank you to session coordinators Kathy Dubansky (Workiva) and Michael

Representatives from Campustown Action Association joined the class at Kingland for a community panel.

Garcia (RMH Architects), both graduates of Leadership Ames Class XXX, as well as Ames Class XXXI Sponsor Mary Greeley Medical Center.

A downtown/small business and community panel was held at Della Viti.

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usiness and Industry Day was held on February 27, sponsored by Danfoss.

This day covered a lot of ground, starting the day in Nevada and

ending in Boone, with a lot of Ames in between!

Highlights of the day included presentations and tours at Burke in Nevada, Danfoss, REG and Sigler Companies in

Business and Industry Day Sponsor Danfoss took class members on a tour to learn about their process improvement and safety initiatives.

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Special thanks to session coordinators Brenda Brown (REG) and Michelle Vogel (Sigler Companies), both gradu-

Class members toured Sigler Companies.

ates of Leadership Ames Class XXX. Additional thanks to Mary Greeley Medical Center, the Leadership Ames Class XXXI Sponsor.

The day ended at Farewayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wholesale OfďŹ ce in Boone with a walking tour of the warehouses.

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YLA pictured with Kim Iiams, Graig Stensland and Pat Jackson from Bankers Trust.

YLA touring the safe deposit room at First National Bank.

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Â&#x2021; %UHQGD 'U\HU Director, Workforce Solutions

Â&#x2021; Sarah Buss, Director, Sponsorship and Membership Events

Â&#x2021; John Hall, Director, Business Development and Marketing

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Â&#x2021; Ron Hallenbeck ([HFXWLYH 9LFH 3UHVLGHQW

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Â&#x2021; Andrea Hammes Dodge, 'LUHFWRU 3XEOLF 5HODWLRQV

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MEMBERS

Thank you to the following members who have donated 10 percent more than their annual dues for Chamber projects.

Because of contributions from members like these, the Ames Chamber can maintain a level of excellence in the services we provide.

Please note: This represents only a portion of the Chamberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gold members.

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Cindy Albin, Hunziker & Associates Tess Ashley, Global State Mortgage Alli Azbill, Global State Mortgage Steve Bock, RE/MAX Real Estate Center Don Borcherding, Greater Iowa Credit Union Bonnie Brown, Global State Mortgage Adam Brungardt, AmericInn and Country Inn & Suites|Ames Nathan Buss, VisionBank Buffy Clatt, First National Bank John Coder, VisionBank Lisa Downs, Hunziker & Associates Stacy Dreyer, First National Bank Amy Engstrom, 2Men and Adame Cleaning Paula Feltner, Thisday Photography Marci Ferguson, RE/MAX Real Estate Pam Fleener, First National Bank Teresa Garman, Individual Member Shelley Goecke, McFarland Clinic Colette Gunhus, Keeling Wealth Advisors Tom Haggas, Cheshire Moon Films Jeff Harrison, Midwest Heritage Bank Sherry Hosteng, RE/MAX Real Estate Ashley Howe, Xpanxion Sharon Johnson, RE/MAX Real Estate Jeff Louang, Holiday Inn Conference Center Michelle King, The Krell Institute Carol Kisling, iHeart Media Matt Koehler, Greater Iowa Credit Union Tony LaRosa, Individual Member Paul Livingston, Hunziker & Associates, Realtors Danielle Minde, EXIT Realty Amanda Moorman, Morgan Stanley David Orth, Spirited Giving Matthew Pacha, Hy-Vee Lincoln Center Michele Partridge, Hunziker & Associates, Realtors Mike Peckis, Samâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Club Sarah Powers, RE/MAX Real Estate Tom Randall, Tom Randall Real Estate Team at Keller Williams Tim Rasmussen, Flooring America Matt Roghair, Exchange State Bank Dorothy Schumer, Ames Convention and Visitors Bureau Tim Tryon, U.S. Bank Daryle Vegge, Story County Community Foundation Barb Vincent, Ames Christian School Allyson Walter, Ames Convention and Visitors Bureau Jan Williams, First National Bank

A P R I L 2 0 1 8 | A M E S B U S I N E S S M O N T H L Y | 13

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The Ames Foundation Plans Tree Planting for May 19

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he Ames Foundation would like to invite the public to participate once again in replanting Ames through the Ames Community 7UHH 3URJUDP LQ In 2015, The Ames Foundation entered into a multi-year partnership with the City of Ames to help raise money for, and physically volunteer in the replanting of, trees that will be lost to the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB).

7KLV HIIRUW FXOPLQDWHG LQ WKH ÂżUVW community-wide tree planting days in 2016. In 2016, The Ames Foundation volunteers planted well over 150 trees.

In 2017, volunteers planted more than 250 trees.

Unfortunately, efforts like these to reforest Ames are necessary, because ash trees in Ames may be a dying breed thanks to EAB. This invasive species continues to destroy ash trees across the nation, and lessons learned in other parts of the country demonstrate that, without costly ongoing treatment, EAB will sigQLÂżFDQWO\ UHGXFH WKH QXPEHU RI DVK WUHHV in our community within a decade. ($% KDV EHHQ LGHQWLÂżHG LQ 6WRU\ County, which means the demise of our ash population is imminent in our community.

Many of you will recall a similar bio-

logic calamity visited upon our community several decades ago. During the 1970â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, the Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s many American Elm trees were virtually wiped out by Dutch Elm disease.

What followed was a steady effort to reforest the community, which continues to this day.

We have thousands of trees here in Ames, which improve our community E\ LPSURYLQJ ZDWHU TXDOLW\ WKURXJK ÂżOtration and erosion control, provide temperature control and wind breaks, and support wildlife habitat necessary for biodiversity.

Trees have also been shown to

increase property values, reduce crime, and improve mental health. There were approximately 2,300 ash trees located on City managed property, making up about 16 percent of all public trees in Ames. These numbers are dwindling as the City of Ames has implemented the ($% 5HVSRQVH 3ODQ ZKHUHLQ WKH &LW\ removes a select number of ash trees preemptively.

The Ames Foundation asks the public to join it in replanting the areas of the City where ash trees have been removed.

The Ames Foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spring planting is planned for the morning of Saturday, May 19.

3OHDVH FRQWDFW WKH )RXQGDWLRQ LI \RX are interested in volunteering to assist with planting trees, donate money or otherwise learn more by visiting www.amesfoundation.org, or visiting our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/theamesfoundation/.

You can also contact Ames Foundation Board members Jeff Iles at 515-2943714 or iles@iastate.edu, John Tillo at 515-232-4732 or jtillo@singerlaw.com, or Nick Johnson at 515-233-1913 or nick@amesford.com directly.

14 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | A P R I L 2 0 1 8

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Lunch & Learns

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hanks to Jon Heacock, Defensive Coordinator and Safeties Coach for Iowa State, for speakLQJ WR <3$ PHPEHUV LQ )HEUXary about how to get the most from your team.

2YHU <3$ PHPEHUV DWWHQGHG KLV talk in Heartland Hall at the Jacobson Athletics Building to learn how to make a difference in their organization.

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K$: DUH <3$ VRFLDOV KHOG monthly at a Chamber business.

These events provide a great opportunity for networking and socializing with other young profession-

als as well as enjoy some free appetizers!

Thank you to everyone who came out to Dublin Bay for our social event in February. Join us for our next ThAW in April! No registration is required!

9LVLW ZZZ \SDPHV FRP WR ¿QG PRUH ways to get involved and check the calendar for detail on future events!

Join Young Profesionals of Ames!

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ou can now join the more than 100 fascinating, involved, diverse individuals who make XS WKH <RXQJ 3URIHVVLRQDOV RI Ames membership. And joining online is quick and easy! *HW LQYROYHG ZLWK <RXQJ 3URIHVVLRQals of Ames for opportunities to build and foster relationships through: Â&#x2021; /HDGHUVKLS GHYHORSPHQW Â&#x2021; 3URIHVVLRQDO GHYHORSPHQW Â&#x2021; &RPPXQLW\ RXWUHDFK Â&#x2021; &XOWXUDO DQG VRFLDO opportunities Visit www.ypames.com to learn more and join us!

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A P R I L 2 0 1 8 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | 15

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Longtime Cooking Store Owner Passes the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Spatulaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to the Next Generation

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fter nearly four decades as a Main Street business owner, Margaret â&#x20AC;&#x153;Margâ&#x20AC;? Junkhan is hanging up her apron. This month Mindy Bergstrom took over ownership of Cooksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Emporium, and the building where it is located, at 313 Main Street.

3ULRU WR RSHQLQJ &RRNVÂś (PSRULXP in 1979, Junkhan had taught cooking classes in the adult education program at Ames High School. It was those classes that showed her the need for a cookware store in Ames. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Students would ask where they could EX\ WKH VSHFLÂżF HTXLSPHQW , ZRXOG VKRZ them in class,â&#x20AC;? Junkhan said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I had worked in retail and very much enjoyed it, so I thought â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;why not?â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;?

Bergstrom, who grew up in southwestern Minnesota, always knew she wanted to own a store on a Main Street.

Her parents are small business owners, DQG VKH VWDUWHG KHU ÂżUVW VPDOO EXVLQHVV while she was in college creating lowcost websites for other small businesses. +HU KXVEDQG 3DWULFN JUHZ XS LQ $PHV and she would often visit downtown Ames, and Cooksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Emporium. After twelve years, working in various advertising agencies, Bergstrom was ready to take the next step.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;When Mindy was interested in buying the business, I was ready,â&#x20AC;? Junkhan VDLG Âł, DP GHÂżQLWHO\ JHWWLQJ ROGHU DQG LW is better to retire while in good health!â&#x20AC;?

For Bergstrom, Cooksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Emporium FRXOGQÂśW KDYH EHHQ D EHWWHU ÂżW â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to continue Margâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legacy with carrying quality kitchenware, products, and brands,â&#x20AC;? Bergstrom said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sell it if I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want it in my own kitchen.â&#x20AC;?

But while some things wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t change, Bergstrom does have plans to put her mark on the business. She has already XSGDWHG WKH 326 V\VWHP ZLWK 6TXDUH IRU Retail as well as organized the basement displays and inventory. In the future, she also plans to rebrand the logo, refresh the website, and completely remodel the store to allow room for more quality products and an updated kitchen to continue cooking demos.

As for Marg, the friends she has made over the years will still see her teaching the occasional cooking class and giving demonstrations, but she also plans to travel, spend time with her grandchildren, and have fun. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Keeping busy will not be a problem,â&#x20AC;?

Junkhan said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And I am sure Mindy will do a great job!â&#x20AC;?

16 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | A P R I L 2 0 1 8

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Help Make Campustown Shine!

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pril marks the beginning of our #MakeCampustownShine programming for 2018. The Campustown Action Association holds monthly clean up events from April through November. Volunteers provide the labor, CAA supplies trash bags, gloves and brooms. The MCS events are generally held on Saturday mornings between 10am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 12pm, but you can also VFKHGXOH D WLPH WR ÂżW \RXU JURXSÂśV QHHGV

Contact the Campustown Action Association to book a date for your group. Email director@amescampustown.com, call 515-292-4528 or visit our website. Working together we can make Campustown shine!

Stash the Trash is Saturday, April 7

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tash the Trash is a volunteer effort that brings together ISU community and Ames community members together to help clean up Ames after the winter to make Ames a more beautiful place to live and work. Volunteers have the option to clean-up a neighborhood, park, or campus.

The event is scheduled to take place from 8:00am until 1pm Saturday, April 7. All volunteers will check-in at Reiman Gardens during that time where trash bags and gloves will be available. A free

lunch (noon to one) and free admission to Reiman Gardens will also be offered to all volunteers.

This event represents a collaboration among Campustown Action Association, City of Ames, Iowa Home Consulting Hauling and Disposal, ISU Live Green, ,68 )DFLOLWLHV 3ODQQLQJ 0DQDJHPHQW ISU Student Activities Center, Keep Iowa State Beautiful, Reiman Gardens, Cy Serve, and Volunteer Center of Story County.

Visit the Volunteer Center of Story County at www.vcstory.org to sign up.

A P R I L 2 0 1 8 | A M E S B U S I N E S S M O N T H L Y | 17

New owner of Cooks’ Emporium planning 2019 remodel

By Dan Mika, Staff Writer dmika@amestrib.com

T

he new owner of Cooks’ Emporium is planning a major remodel of the Main Street store next year after purchasing the long-running business earlier this year.

Mindy Bergstrom, the store’s new owner, took over the downtown cookware store, at 313 Main St., in February after former owner Margaret “Marg” Junkhan retired after almost 40 years at the store.

Bergstrom, a former project manager for an advertising agency in the Twin Cities, said she always wanted to be her own boss after watching her father run various businesses. She built websites and did event planning while studying in college before getting into the advertising world.

“I have such high expectations of things, and every time I worked for someone else, I’d always say, ‘well, maybe do this,’ or suggest things,” she said. “I wanted to be in a position to make the change, try something new, and if it fails, it fails, but if it succeeds, it’s an idea that worked.”

She dreamed of owning a business on the Main Street of a Minneapolis suburb, but the rent was too expensive. Bergstrom and her husband, who grew up in Ames,

Cooks’ Emporium owner Mindy Bergstrom. Bergstrom recently purchased the Main Street store from Margaret Junkhan, who founded and owned the store for almost two decades. PHOTO BY DAN MIKA/AMES TRIBUNE

often spent time shopping downtown when visiting family, and they particularly enjoyed Cooks’ Emporium (she bakes in her spare time, he cooks.)

After a particularly stressful day, Bergstrom’s husband called up Junkhan on a whim to see if

she was interested in selling the business.

“Her words were, ‘yes, yes, yes, absolutely yes,’” Bergstrom said with a laugh. “She’s 83, so it’s about time for her to retire and start a new adventure.”

Bergstrom moved to Ames and

began working with Junkhan to learn the ropes of the business.

She officially took over as owner Feb. 27.

Junkhan won’t be entirely gone from the store, however. She will still do an occasional cooking demonstration, Bergstrom said.

Bergstrom said the store’s inventory will stay the same and its employees will remain on board, but she may hire a new manager after the previous one retired with Junkhan.

In the meantime, the store’s branding and marketing strategy will change, but will have a new social media presence and exclusive recipes made by food bloggers for the store. Bergstrom said she hopes to open an online store so customers can shop without having to be in the store.

The rebrand and new site will lead into a major renovation next year. Bergstrom said the interior will be gutted to make more space.

She said she also plans to revamp the color scheme and build a brand new test kitchen.

The remodel is expected to begin in January or February 2019, and the store will close for several weeks as crews renovate the building.

Bergstrom, 32, said it won’t be an easy task filling Junkhan’s role, but she knows the benefit of buying an established business will help immensely as she plans the remodel.

“Marg has such a good foundation of what she did create with this place,” she said. “This going to be way too easy for me, she had the hard work of starting everything from scratch.”

Developers announce $7.2 million hotel on South 16th Street A Comfort Inn & Suites in the style of the proposed upcoming location in Ames. The company proposing the hotel, Hart Family Hotels, currently operates Sleep Inn & Suites on Ames’ west side.

By Dan Mika, Staff Writer dmika@amestrib.com

A

hotel operator is preparing to start construction on a $7.2 million, 76-room hotel on South 16th Street later this spring.

According to a news release from Hart Family Hotels, the company plans to begin construction on a three-story Comfort Inn & Suites just south of the Coldwater Golf Links clubhouse later this May. The hotel is projected to

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

open in March 2019.

Hart Family Hotels currently operates Sleep Inn & Suites in

west Ames, along with six other hotels in Iowa.

Hart Family Hotels president

Troy Hart said the company wants to build the second hotel to capitalize on it’s success from their current property, and to stake a position close to Iowa State University’s athletic stadiums.

“We’re finding our guests are looking for that proximity and walking distance to Jack Trice Stadium, and even though the exit where the Sleep Inn is not that much farther away, there’s a perception among university people that it’s too far,” he said.

Hart said the hotel will have an exercise room, pool, hot tub and early morning breakfast service from 5 to 10 a.m.

The company expects to hire 10 full-time and 15 part-time employees.

According to layout plans, the lot would have a 10-footdeep water detention area on its northern border. Hart said the hotel plans to connect its drainage system with the golf course’s drainage to help move flood and rainwater out of the area.

18 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | APRIL 2018

Align your values with your investments C

onsumers send messages to companies by spending money at stores whose policies align with the consumer’s values as opposed to stores that don’t line up. In the same way, people with money invested in the market can reward companies that behave in ways that match their core values.

As an example, there are mutual funds available for investors who desire to preserve the environment.

Achieving long-term investment returns does not have to come at the expense of compromising your beliefs.

Andra Reason People are bombarded with choices when investing their money. All have a certain level of risk which is rewarded at different

levels and over varied timelines. Stocks, gold and silver, local start-up businesses, real estate, interestbearing CD’s, and mutual funds are a few that come to mind. Mutual funds use money from the investing public to buy a wide number of securities and/or bonds.

They are operated by professional money managers.

Those managers select the investments and allocate the dollars received among (typically) hundreds of investments. These mutual funds can give investors access to broadly diversified investments with ease

— and at a lower risk level when compared to investing in a single company.

Some mutual funds are using strategies tailored to address clients with particular environmental and social concerns. The funds refrain from investing heavily in companies such as tobacco companies, firms involved in gambling, companies using child labor, or cluster munitions manufacturers.

The companies added to the mutual fund are determined based on whether they meet a set of standards, or screens.

The companies must pass through the screens including but not limited to their greenhouse gas emissions, toxic spills, or operational waste generated. Some screens compare other companies in the same industry to reward those doing more to preserve the environment. Other screens are used to exclude companies completely.

Companies with tainted environmental or labor records, or those known to manufacture cluster munitions or mines that indiscriminately affect humans and their land could be

Time for a stress test I

’ll preface my comments by admitting that I’m fiscally pretty conservative, especially when compared to a sample of other business founders. With that said, I suggest it’s time to take a step back and assess your organization’s preparedness for the next downturn.

As I write this in midFebruary the current economic expansion is over 100 months old, making it the third longest in the U.S. since 1854 according to economists from Goldman Sachs. That’s 100 years old, in expansion-years.

Our now-codger expansion was of humble birth with its roots dating back to the depths of the Great Recession in the middle of 2009. His early years were characterized with slow, but steady, growth due to the difficult conditions of his

Rick Brimeyer upbringing.

Others teased him for being puny, even inadequate. They compared him to his flashy, faster growing relatives of bygone days.

His tormentors appeared to forget that his supersized predecessors lived in a country with younger demographics and also occasionally abused steroids

in the form of excessive consumer credit to grow faster. They forgot that those steroids ultimately contributed to the Great Recession.

Through discipline and hard work, our current expansion continued to grow. With age he even started to garner respect from many, gaining the nickname “Old Steady.” He liked that.

He liked it so much, in fact, that it may have gone to his head. It’s been rumored that Old Steady may have himself turned to steroids. Historically a tea toddler, he was reportedly a party animal on New Year’s Eve and is said to be frequenting many bashes early in 2018.

His behavior has certainly freaked stock market investors, always a skittish group. Take the market’s

recent volatility as a cue that it’s probably a good time to step back and assess what the impact on your organization would be should Mr. Expansion drop over dead next week while twerking with Miley Cyrus.

There are a couple of strategies to consider for completing that assessment. If your organization was prudent enough to collect lessons learned during the global crisis, congratulations! Now is a good time to dust off that list and have an honest discussion as to whether your current state is aligned with the recommendations of your prior lessons. Prioritize the adjustments required to bring the organization into alignment with those recommendations.

If your organization was formed after the Great Recession or no lessons

learned were gathered, create your own risk assessment and abatement plan.

Start by identifying various scenarios which could arise should the economy turn south. Examples might be: What if revenues/ funding/contributions fall by 10 percent? 20 percent?

30 percent?

What if a major customer extends payments by 30 days?

What if a major supplier goes under?

Assess the impact and the likelihood for each scenario and prioritize them based on the combination.

Highly destructive scenarios with a reasonable chance of occurring better have a plan in place to abate the risk. The time to develop and act on that plan is while the sun is shining, not amidst the fury of the storm.

It’s human nature to expect that the good times will continue indefinitely.

Behavioral experts refer to this as extrapolation bias.

It explains why capacity is so often added right at

removed from the list of approved companies within a fund.

If you are interested in learning more about how to align your values with your portfolio there are many resources available. Ask your advisor what sustainable and socially responsible strategies they offer that may maintain or improve the standard of living for future generations.

ANDRA REASON, CPA, CFP is an advisor at Marrs Wealth Management. She can be reached at andra@ marrswealth.com.

the peak of the expansion.

I can think of several new facilities that sat vacant or underutilized for years, or were sold at bargain basement prices, after being built just prior to the global crisis.

Personal finance experts always advise on the importance of individuals having an emergency fund for those unpredictable, yet inevitable nasty life events such as a furnace failure or an appendectomy. Likewise, your organization should have an emergency plan in place for the next inevitable recession. Mr. Expansion will certainly not live forever.

RICK BRIMEYER is the president of Brimeyer LLC, an independent management consulting firm located in Ames which guides organizations to higher performance by focusing on process improvement and leadership development.

Further information is available at www. brimeyerllc.com or by calling (515) 450-8855.

A P R I L 2 018 | A M E S B U S I N E S S M O N T H LY | 19

20 | AMES BUSINESS MONTHLY | APRIL 2018